SASKATOON -- Saskatoon songwriter Pallavi Mozumder is getting international recognition.
Mozumder’s song "Magic of Colours" earned her a third place finish at the International Watercolour Society’s (IWS) theme song contest.
“I was in a dream. I was pinching myself thinking, is it a dream or is it the reality,” said Mozumder.
Before she moved to Canada in 2012, Mozumder wrote and composed songs for two of her albums in Bangladesh.
She focused mainly on her music while she lived there, but after moving to Canada things changed.
Mozumder says she had to push her passion for music aside for her family and to make her new life in Canada.
“After coming to Canada I almost gave up singing because I had to survive first,” she said.
Things changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mozumder says the lockdown was a huge reason why she got back into music.
She says when she heard about the contest and its theme "peace through art” she jumped on the opportunity to write again.
“I kept thinking, ‘what am I doing.’ I’m just you know like doing my job, regular work, household chores and all that. I want to write and I want to compose,” she said.
Getting into writing again helped Mozumder and the songs she wrote for the contest had a special meaning to her. She says that her song was inspired by the idea of all people being treated equally.
Like Mozumder, the IWS aims to spread peace, love and harmony worldwide.
The non-profit organization chooses the contest winners through a points system. A group of jurors made up of musicians and artists from around the world go through each song submitted and rank them.
“It’s in our nature to enter a competition and win something so I think they felt great,” said IWS contest coordinator Rasim Duran.
The winners from this year were given a digital certificate and will be asked to join the next group of jurors who will help decide future winners.
Mozumder hopes to continue songwriting and has started her own YouTube channel to share her music.
